Ithaka by C.V. Cavafy

Homer's epic journey to Odysseus.
In mosaic.

Ithaca, Greek island in the Ionian Sea

 I recently read for the first time, Ithaka, by C.P. Cafavy and was charmed by it. Ithaka is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, famous as the mythical home of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. Symbolically, the name, Ithaka, represents a cherished home, a desired destination or a lifelong goal. In literature, it often signifies the Journey of Life itself, emphasizing the value of experience over the destination, however greatly desired by the traveller is that destination. Cafavy's Ithaka was obviously inspired by Homer’s Odyssey and emphasizes that experience, knowledge and maturity gained along the way, constitute the true wealth of life rather than the goal itself, however magnificent. As well as the metaphorical message, the elegance of the language in Ithaka is beguiling. Here is a long quote from the second and third stanzas:

 Hope your road is a long one.
 May there be many summer mornings when,

 with what pleasure, what joy
you enter harbours you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind –
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities 

to learn, and go on learning, from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,

not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

The poem begins with a wish for Odysseus's pending journey to be a long one

explaining the joys to be met in its unfolding -- of coming into "harbours seen for the
first time"; of buying precious jewels and perfumes "at Phoenician trading stations";
of gathering knowledge from scholars. The speaker explains that the obstacles and hard times he will encounter are not from the gods but from his own fearful soul. In fact, Cavafy transforms the Odyssean myth into an expression of life's journey and the development of the soul, perhaps suggesting the further destination of death as an inspiration to live every day to its fullest. 

                                                 Renowned for seafaring and trade, the Phoenicians 

                                                 established one of antiquity's most extensive maritime

                                                networks, active for over a millennium.

I would guess that the appeal of this poem for me, particularly now, is that, in my nineties, I have often considered, looking back over my life and mulling over the memories, that it has been an eventful  journey with all that that implies; the remembered joys, and the sad regrets;

the lamentations for losses; the wondering what might have happened had I taken the road not chosen, but also the gradual illumination of why choices, and sometimes sacrifices, were made. Then there is the realisation that now I see how fortunate I am to have reached old age, not having hurried my journey at all but having unwittingly taken random chances to savour life, grow and mature. Perhaps it is good to have taken so long to be nearer that final destination, as Cavafy's poem suggests. That final point will arrive in good time, but perhaps only after I have enjoyed many more summer mornings, entered other random, unknown harbours, acquired more mother-of -pearl and coral, amber and ebony treasures and continued to learn from scholars. I see that I have had my seasons in the sun dappled with the shadows too.  My road to Ithaka did indeed give me a long and marvellous journey, the highs and lows of which are gratefully remembered..     

                                           Hope your road is a long one   

                                           May there be many summer mornings when,

                                           with what pleasure, what joy,

                                           you enter harbours that you're seeing for the first time;

                                           may you stop at Phoenician trading stations

                                           to buy fine things .......

                                           sensual perfumes of every kind.       

                                           Ithaka gave you a marvellous journey,                                                                                          Without her you wouldn't have set out.                                                                                         She has nothing left to give you now.

      

View from a Greek balcony in Ithaca over the Ionian Sea.

                                  And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you. 

                                  Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, 

                                  you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

A good life remembered.

Every New Beginning

 

Every New Beginning ….…… 

                                                  ........ comes from some other beginning’s end.   Seneca

Seneca; Stoic, philosophet, statesman, dramatist
c 4 B.C.-65 A.D.

Mark Twain; novelist, essayist, journalist, humourist   
1835-1910.

I have chosen this theme simply because on Saturday, [14^th March 2026] I shall meet Maeve for the first time. Her birth has certainly initiated a huge and delightful beginning to Tom and Flora’s new life as a trio and marked the end of being a couple, a Maeve-less duo!  For me privately, of course, it is an exciting thought to acknowledge that I am now old enough to have a great granddaughter with possibly

Idealised representation of great grandma and new baby!

the beginnings of that attendant wisdom for this Nana that word implies! One of my favourite sayings since I first heard it has always been Mark Twain’s, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started" And Twain’s two most famous novels, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” are ones  which I read to many teenage classes as a young teacher, and which introduced characters and situations which were always loved and enjoyed by us all. Those two books seemed to capture the spirit of the Mississippi River and the then contemporary American life with wit, satire and authentic colloquial language so entertaining to hear.  Little did I realise when I first heard of Tom Sawyer’s entertaining adventures that these were the words of an influential and foundational figure in American literature. Twain has long been celebrated as a master humorist, able to tackle serious issues like slavery and imperialism through relatable characters and amusing, sometimes frightening, encounters.

Shape of things to come.

But back to the important present! Last weekend, observing my eldest grandson and his wife, I marvelled at the huge amount of involvement Tom had with the care of his baby daughter. All taken for granted these days, of course, but secretly admired by me. One can’t help but compare it with the slight amount of nappy-changing, bottom-wiping by Dads of previous generations. The birth of a baby has always been a profound, life-changing event that marks the beginning of a fresh chapter, bringing immense joy and a re-defined sense of purpose to the parents. Tom and Flora have all the delight in their new daughter, while happily managing on much less sleep as she seems to hoard her wakefulness and its active expression, to their night hours. It is impressive, though socially assumed to be normal, when new parents immediately transform their priorities from the absorption of self-and couple care to the protection and nurturing of this tiny, dependent human. The tumult of the birth and the joy following, shifts their focus from the past to the future as they instinctively look forward to guiding their baby on an unknown but beautiful journey ahead.

Niamh and Maeve:
one aunt with the V.I.M.
both with Celtic names.

Cait and Maeve:
a great aunt takes her turn with the
Very Important Maeve.

It was amusing to watch the assembled family at my son’s home, almost queuing to hold Maeve, talk to Maeve, cuddle Maeve, who was not, yet, quite at the stage of giving a grateful smile for all the cuddly interaction she was enjoying. Think the smiles of recognition for her parents are almost due and will be bountifully bestowed shortly. I would also guess that the totally thrilled Mum and Dad are also able to recognize, in the strength of their wonderment with their new daughter, how                                                                 special they, in their earlier turn, had been, and still are, to their    own parents. 

Proud parents enjoying their new beginning

Lao-Tzu b 604 B.C.
Philosopher, founder of T(D)aoism, poet.

       

                 Lao-Tzu   "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

Maeve